Combined hydraulic and planetary gear transmission



March 5, 1957 P. E. DE FORD COMBINED HYDRAULIC AND PLANETARY GEAR TRANSMISSION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 2, 1954 March 5, 1957 P. E. DE FORD COMBINED HYDRAULIC AND PLANETARY GEAR TRANSMISSION Filed July 2, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Perl E, Del-'ord INVENTOR.

We@ StatePatehff-@o CMBINED HYDRAULIC AND PLANETARY GEAR TRANSMISSION n Perl E. De Ford, Twin Falls, Idaho,-assignor of fifty percent to Emerson A. Tolman, Twin Falls, Idaho Application July 2, 1954, Serial No. 440,979

This invention relates generally-totpower 'transmission mechanisms and pertainsV more particularlyA to an improved form of uid couplingK assembly incorporating a planetary new reduction Aunitgtherein for automatically varying the gear ratio betweena driving and adriven shaft.

A primary object of this invention is toprovideV animprovement on the structure shown and describedby co pending application, Ser. No. 374,569, `iledAugust 17, 1953, the improvement residing in the ease of assembly and ldisassembly of the'present vunit due to its compact form and improved construction.

These together with other objects and'advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation 'asmore vfully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section substantially on .line.

1-1 of Figure 2 taken through the hydraulicdrive constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view-taken substantially along the plane of section line 2 2 in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken along the plane of section line 3-3 in Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken along the .plane of section line 4 4 in Figurel.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, .the drive unit will be seen to consist essentially of acasing indicated generally by the reference character which is formed of two sections, each respectively having. an end wall 12 or 14 and ,each having a peripheral flange 16 and 1S, which are removably secured together as by fasteners 20 such that the casing is constructed withlits end walls in spaced relation to presenta chamber 22 therebetween. Integrally formed with the end wall 12 is a hub member 24 havinga longitudinal recess 26 therein, the hub projecting from the end wall' 12 into the chamber 22 and terminating. short of the other end wall 14. The inner or free end of the hub ,is provided with internal teeth 28 for purposes which vwill be presently apf parent. 4

An annular runner member 30 is jonrnalled on the hub 24 by means of needle bearing members.32 and is retained on the hub by means of ahub member 34 suitably tted onto the hub 24 and thrust washer,36 which is disposed on hub 24 between the runner member and the end wall 12. It will be seen that the widthof the runner. member is such that its opposite side.. surfaces are in closely spaced relation to the interior surfaces of the end walls 12 and 14 and it'will be further noted that each side of the runner member is provided with runner means 38 and 40 which are in alignment withandf cooperate with the impeller vane members 42 and `44 formed in the end walls 12 and 14 respectively'- In-thismanner, a uid coupling is formed betweenthe casing XY10 andthe runner30. f f` The Side Vof the runne adjacent-111e n `wn1 14is- 2,783,660 Y Patentes MaaY s, vlas? ice recessed as at 46 and the gear teeth 48 are formed therein to present an internal'ring gear;l A'pivot-shaft Vmember 50 projects through the end wall 14 and into the recess 26 of the hub 24 with a ball bearing assembly 52` journalling this shaft in the hub and a ballV bearing asp sembly 54 journalling'the shaft in the end wall 14. s The Y innr end of the shaft 50 is provided with a portion'56 of reduced diameter which extends from the end thereof to the splined portion v584v which is supplied forl the reception thereon of the carrier plate 605- A sun gear is journalled on the portion 56Yoffthe shaft "50 'within' the recess of the runner member and-this sun gear isV The carrier plate v60 Yhasthe innerstub shafts-.68 and' the outer stubl shafts- 70pivotally' 'secured thereto and projecting laterally therefrometo provideV journals for'the outer pinion members `72 and thel inner pinion members K. l. 7 4 as will be readily apparent from Figure 2.

A power drive shaft 76 is provided such that its flanged portion 78 is rigidly secured as by Vfasteners 80 to the casing assembly 10 and isprovided with an oil supplyline 32` and an oil Vreturn line ,84; in alignment with the corre# 4 spending bores 86 and 881in'the hub member toassure a proper supply of oilgwithin the chamber 22 for proper operation ofthe fluid coupling'means.

It will be noted Vthat the pinion' thus formed very.

compact in nature inasmuch as the carrier plate 60 is carried within a dishedfor recessed centralV portion 90 .of the end wall 14 of the casingassembly and, that the gear H ber 94 to properly position the bearing assembly 52 and it is to be noted that the bearing assembly "54 may be retained yin the end wall 14 `by means of a snap ring orl any other suitable assembly for this purpose.

i Also projecting into the 'recessedportion 90 of the end wall 14 is a cylindrical annular extension 960i runner: member 30 which is positioned between the carrier plate, 60 and the recessed portion ofthe end Wall. Asfseenl most clearly in Figure 3, the carrier plate 60 is provided with a series of peripheral tapered teeth 98 vwhich are of wedge-shaped configuration for cooperation with a series of rollers 100 positioned therein.r The rollers 100 are held in proper position by an annular cage member which is of L-shaped configuration in cross section and` which is provided with a peripheral ange portion 102 and a radial` flange portion 104,the latter being carriedby the carrier plate 60 by means of aplurality ofrfasteners.

such as rivets 106 or -the like. The rivets or pins v196 loosely carry the cage member through the mediumof projecting throughgthe circumferentially elongated slots 108 therein, such as to permit a limitedrotational move# ment between the cage and the'carrier ,plate 60.` The cage is provided in its peripheral flange portion V102, with i' a series of slots 109 within which thetrollers 100 are car-y ried. v

Secured to the flanglerporton .104 of the cage area'- plurality of friction members 110 arrangedA radially there-f Y' on and which are slidably received in' suitabley brackets? 112 rigidly aixe'd tothe-llange 1,04.V Spring members" 114 engage the friction members 110 at'theirinnerl ends the inner surface of the extension 96. j,

Normally, when drive is bei-ng transmitted from .the shaft 76to the driven shaft 50, the 'carrier plate 60 will' tbe rotating slower than the runner member'Y 30, such that the extension'96, being'f-a-'pr'ojecti'on of the latter, will, by virtue of its engagement with the frictionmemlbers tojnormally urge these members into engagement with 110 cause the cage to shift Withnrespect to thecarrier plates 60 such that the rollers 100 4are positioned in the manner shown in Figure 3 wherein a free wheeling ac tion isv obtained between the carrier plates and the runners 30. However, whenever the shaft 76 is rotating ata slower speed than the shaft 50, vsuch as when a vehicle is going down hill, the carrier plate 60 will rotate faster than the runner member: 30 to shift the cage with respect to ,the carrier plate, by virtue of the friction members 110, to cause the rollers 100 tol shift upwardly along the incline surfaces of the teeth 98 on the carrier plate to lock the carrier plate 60 to the runner member 30. Thus, the shaft 50 will tend to rotate the shaft 76 and the drag ofthe engine driving the shaft 76 will be imparted to the shaft 50, creating abralting action thereon.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further eX- planation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the eXact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is' as follows:

l. A power transmission device comprising a casing having a pair of spaced end wall members defining a chamber therebetween, said casing including a centrally disposed hub projecting into said chamber from one of said end walls and termin-ating short of the other end wall, a runner member journalled Von said hub and having its opposite sides disposed in closely spaced relation to the interior surfaces of said end walls, said opposite sides of said runner member and said interior surfaces of said end walls being provided with fluid coupling vanes whereby rotation of said casing will impart rotation to said runner, said other end wall being provided with a dished central portion and said runner member being provided with a recessed portion directly opposite thereto, a driven shaft projecting into said easing through said other end wall and having its inner end journalled in said hub, a carrier plate secured to said shaft and disposed within the ydished portion of said other end wal-l, said runner membei` being provided with gear teeth in its recessed portion presenting an internal ring gear, a first pinion journalled on said carrier plate and engaged with said ring gear, a sun gear journalled on said sha-ft and drivingly connected to said hub, and a second pinion journalled to said carrier plate meshing with said sun gear and said rst pinion, and means operatively connected to said carrier plate and said runner member for providing overrunning clutch and friction means between said carrier plate and said runner member.

2. A power transmission device comprising a casing having apair of spaced end wall members defining a chamber therebetween, said casing including a` centrally disposed hub projecting into sai-d chamber from one end wall and terminating short ofthe other end wall, an annular runner member journalled on said hub and having its opposite sides disposed closely adjacent the inner faces of said end walls, said casing and said runner member having fluid coupling means for drivingly interconnecting the runner with the casing, said hub having a recess therein, a driven shaft journalled in said other end wall and projecting into the chamber with its' runner end rotatably received in said hub, said inner member being formed with an internal ring gear, a sun gear coupled to said hub and journalled on said shaft, and a pair of intermeshed planet gears carried by said shaft rotatably supported on -a carrier member in said recess, one of said planet gears mating with said sun gear and the other mating with said ring gear, and means operatively connected between said carrier and runner members for providing overrunning clutch and friction means between said members.

3. A power transmission device comprising a casing having 'a pair of spaced end wall members defining a chamber therebetween, said casing including a centrally disposed hub projecting into said chamber from one of said end walls and terminating short of the other end Wall, a runner member journalled on said hub and having its opposite sides disposed in closely spaced relation to the interior surfaces of said end Walls, said opposite sides of said runner member and said interior Isurfaces of said end Walls being provided with fluid coupling vanes whereby rotation of said casing will impart rotation to said runner, said other end wall being provided with a dished central portion and said runner member being provided with a recessed portion directly opposite thereto, a driven shaft projecting into said casing through said other end wall and having its inner end journalled in said hub, a carrier plate secured to said shaft and disposed within the dished portion of said other end wall, said runner memberl being provided withg'ar teeth in its recessed portion presenting an internal ring gear, a first pinion journalled on said carrier plate andengaged with said ring gear, Iasun gear journalled on said shaft and drivingly connected to said hub, and a second pinion journalled to. said carrier plate meshing with said sun gear and said first pinion, said runner having an annular projection extending into said `disked central portion of the other end wall in surrounding relation to said carrier plate, and overrunning clutch means between said carrier plate and said projection.

4. A power transmission device comprising a casing having a pair of spaced end wall members delining a chamber therebetween, said casing including a centrally disposed hub'projecting into said chamber from one of said end walls 'and terminating short of the other end wall, a runner member journalled on said Ihub and having its opposite sides disposed in closely spaced relation to the interior surfaces of said end walls, said opposite sides of said runner member and said interior lsurfaces of said end walls being provided with fluid coupling vanes Whereby rotation of, said casing will impart rotation to said runner, said other end wall being provided with a dished central portion and said runner member `being provided with 'a recessed portion directly opposite thereto, a driven shaft projecting into said casing through said other end wall and having its inner end journalled in said hub, -a carrier plate secured to said shaft and disposed within the dished portion of said other end wall, said runner member being provided with gear teeth in its recessed portion presenting an internal ring gea-r, a first pinion journalled on said carrier plate andengaged with said ring gear, a sun gear journalled on said shaft and drivingly connected to said hub, fand a second pinion journalled to said carrier plate meshing with said su'n gea-r and said first pinion, said runner having an annular projection extending into said disked oentral portion of the other end Wall in surrounding relation to said carrier plate, fand overrunning clutch means between said carrier plate and said projection, said overrunning clutch means including a plurality of wedge shaped teeth in said carrier plate, a cage member secured to said carrier plate for limited rotation with respect thereto, and brake means carried by said cage in engagement with said projection.

5. A power transmission device comprising a casing having a pair of spaced end wall members dfining a chamber threbetween, said casing including `a centrally dispose'dhub projecting into said chamber from one end wall and terminating short of the otherrend Wall, an annular runner member journalled on said 'hub and having its oppositey sides4 disposed closely 'adjacent the inner faces of said end wallspsaid casing and said mnner member having fluid coupling means for drivingly interconnecting the runner With the casing,- said hubhaving a recess therein, a driven shaftfjournalled in said other end wall and projecting into the chamber with its immer end rotatably received insaid hub, said ,runner member being 5 formed with an internal ring gear, a sun gear coupled to said hub and journalled on said shaft, and a pair of intermeshed planet gears carried on carrier means secured on said shaft, one of said planet gears mating with said sun gear and the other mating with said ring gear, and an overvrunning clutch and friction means engageable between said carrier means and said runner member for substantially locking said carrier means to said runner member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Sweden Feb. 16, 1954 

